It used to be 100K TonyA reader writes, Dear AR1.com, I attended Saturday night’s 500 Mile race at Auto Club Speedway along with my two boys, ages 15 and 11 and their friends. This was the first Speedway race that they have attended with me. On the way to the track, I described for them that in the CART heyday, about 100,000 fans attended the main race, and usually 30,000 - 40,000 watched the Indy Lights race. I described how Tony George, scion of the family who owns IMS and a baking powder fueled fortune, created the Indy Race League and split the open wheel community in two.

After taking our seats in Section 7, we watched a seemingly lost and confused Tony George, walk slowly up the aisle next to us. Adorned in his fashionable green pastel green pants, he looked more like he was searching for the 19th hole at deep south country club.

It was a surreal moment, as I was now staring at the guy I had just described to my boys and who really is responsible for tearing apart the sport I dearly love and miss. I resisted the urge to shout an obscenity at Anton - instead I just yelled “Hey Tony - we used to have 100,000 people at this race.” He clearly heard me and just kept walking. Kirk P., Claremont, CA

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